Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 7 October 2020
Former Loves Park Woman Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A former Loves Park woman was sentenced today in federal court by U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard for wire fraud.
MICHELLE L. McKINNEY, 43, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $470,454. McKinney pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 13, 2019.
According to a written plea agreement, between June 2013 and September 2016, while employed as an account manager by a roofing company that operated a cloud-based construction management program, McKinney schemed to defraud her employer and obtain money and property by fraudulent representations and concealment of material facts. As an account manager, McKinney was responsible for the oversight of the company’s payroll, human resources, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. Some of the company’s employees, including McKinney, were issued a corporate credit card. Without the company’s knowledge, McKinney also had another corporate credit card issued. McKinney also had access to the company’s bank account and accompanying debit card.
As stated in the plea agreement, McKinney authorized monthly money transfers from the company to pay the entire balance of all the company’s credit cards. McKinney used the credit cards and debit card to make unauthorized purchases for her own benefit totaling more than $470,000. In order to conceal her unauthorized purchases, McKinney disguised her unauthorized charges in the company’s accounting system as company expenses such as office supplies or fees.
McKinney created fictitious payroll invoices in the amount of her unauthorized purchases, and also entered her personal transactions in bulk into the company’s accounting system instead of line-by-line to conceal the true nature of the transactions.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
Former Gulfport Woman Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Sabrina Nicole Cooper, a/k/a Sabrina Cooper Morrison a/k/a Sabrina Nicole Morrison a/k/a Niki Morrison, 37, formerly of Gulfport, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to conspiring to commit theft of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Chris Cave with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
From September 2016 through March 2017, in Harrison and Hancock Counties, Cooper and co-conspirators stole mail from victims’ residences and mail boxes in the Gulfport and Bay St. Louis areas. Cooper and her co-conspirators cashed checks from the stolen mail matter and made mobile deposits with stolen checks into a bank account controlled by a co-conspirator.
Sabrina Nicole Cooper will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 7, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. in Gulfport. She faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Former Bay Springs City Administrator Pleads Guilty to Federal Criminal Charges Related to Embezzlement of City FundsRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Randy James, 56, the former City Clerk of Bay Springs in Jasper County, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, to money laundering and making false statements on a federal tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent-in-Charge James E. Dorsey of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Atlanta Field Office, and Mississippi State Auditor Shad White.
“One of the highest priorities of this office is bringing to justice corrupt officials who betray our public trust. I commend local bank employees who spotted this criminal activity, as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and prosecutors who were diligent in catching this crook and holding him accountable. We will continue to do all that we can to root out criminality and corruption in all forms of government,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that public officials, whether elected or appointed, hold positions of trust in the eyes of the public. This trust is broken when these officials commit crimes,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS CI Atlanta Field Office. “No public official gets a free pass to ignore the tax laws, and IRS-CI works diligently, in concert with state and local partners, to ensure everyone pays their fair share.”
“This loss is massive for a town the size of Bay Springs – over 10% of their annual budget. Our small towns cannot afford to lose a single penny right now,” stated State Auditor White. “My office will work to hold fraudsters like Randy James, who knowingly steal your money, accountable with zero tolerance for this kind of theft.”
James is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Starrett on January 12, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. in Hattiesburg.
At sentencing, James will face up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release for money laundering. Additionally, James faces up to three years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release, making false statement on a Federal Income Tax Return.
During 2017 and 2018, Randy James was employed by the City of Bay Springs, Mississippi, as City Clerk, and had control over certain financial aspects of the city. During this time, James embezzled just over $300,000 from Bay Springs between August 2017 and April 2018 by creating fraudulent invoices from fictitious companies for the costs of false services that were never approved or incurred by the city. James diverted city funds by obtaining checks from the City of Bay Springs, cashing the checks at a local bank, and wiring those funds overseas to international scammers in the hope of winning money in a lottery scheme.
According to the Criminal Information filed in this case, James also made false statements on his personal 2018 Federal Income Tax Return by under-reporting gross receipts by $193,331.00.
The State Auditor’s Office previously issued a demand letter to James for $325,562 which included the amount of his embezzlement, plus interest and investigative costs. In his publicly filed plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, James agreed to pay a total of $420,562 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the federal, state and local law enforcement cooperation displayed in this case. The case was investigated by the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office and by agents for the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris.
Florida Recording Artist and Pennsylvania Man Charged in $24 Million Covid-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Florida Recording Artist Accused of Buying Ferrari with Relief Money
Miami, Fl. -- A Florida recording artist and a Pennsylvania towing company owner have been charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $24 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Diamond Blue Smith, 36, of Miramar, Florida, and Tonye C. Johnson, 28, of Flourtown, Pennsylvania, were charged in federal criminal complaints filed in the Southern District of Florida with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Smith was arrested and appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon of the Northern District of Georgia. Johnson was arrested on Oct. 1, 2020, and appeared on Oct. 2, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry S. Perkin of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The complaints were unsealed today.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Tyler R. Hatcher of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kevin A. Kupperbusch of the U.S. SBA-Office of Inspector General (OIG), Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office, made the announcement.
The criminal complaint against Smith alleges the following: Smith, a recording artist, obtained a PPP loan of $426,717 for his company, Throwbackjersey.com LLC, using falsified documents. Upon completion of that loan, Smith then sought and obtained another PPP loan of $708,065 for his other company, Blue Star Records LLC, using falsified documents. Smith purchased a Ferrari for $96,000 and made other luxury purchases using PPP loan proceeds. Authorities seized the Ferrari at the time of Smith’s arrest. He also withdrew $271,805 in loan proceeds. The complaint further alleges that Smith sought PPP loans on behalf of others in order to receive kickbacks for those confederates.
The criminal complaint against Johnson alleges the following: Johnson obtained a PPP loan of $389,627 for his own company, Synergy Towing & Transport LLC using falsified documents. Johnson paid a portion of the loan proceeds to co-conspirators in the scheme.
According to the complaints, Smith and Johnson conspired with others to obtain millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loans. It is alleged that early in their scheme, Smith and Johnson’s co-conspirator, Phillip J. Augustin, obtained a fraudulent PPP loan for his talent management company using falsified documents. After submitting that application, Augustin then began to work with other co-conspirators on a scheme to submit numerous fraudulent PPP loan applications for confederate loan applicants, in order to receive kickbacks for obtaining the forgivable loans for them, say the court documents. The complaints allege that the scheme involved the preparation of at least 90 fraudulent applications, most of which were submitted. According to the complaints, Augustin, Smith, Johnson, and other conspirators in the scheme applied for PPP loans that are together worth more than $24 million. Many of those loan applications were approved and funded by financial institutions, paying out at least $17.4 million.
The following 11 defendants are accused in other unsealed complaints of being involved in this fraud scheme:
- Joshua J. Bellamy, 31, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on Sept. 9, 2020, in the Southern District of Florida with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Tiara Walker, 37, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on Sept. 3, 2020, in the Southern District of Florida, with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Damion O. Mckenzie, 38, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on Aug. 3, 2020, in the Southern District of Florida with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Andre M. Clark, 46, of Miramar, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on Aug. 3, 2020, in the Southern District of Florida with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Keyaira Bostic, 31, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on Aug. 3, 2020, in the Southern District of Florida with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Phillip J. Augustin, 51, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on July 28, 2020, in the Northern District of Ohio with wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and obstruction;
- Wyleia Nashon Williams, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on July 28, 2020, in the Northern District of Ohio with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- James R. Stote, 54, of Hollywood, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on June 24, 2020, in the Northern District of Ohio with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Ross Charno, 46, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on June 24, 2020, in the Northern District of Ohio with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud;
- Deon D. Levy, 50, of Bedford, Ohio, was charged in a federal complaint filed on June 8, 2020, in the Northern District of Ohio with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and
- Abdul-Azeem Levy, 22, of Cleveland, Ohio was charged in a federal complaint filed on June 8, 2020, in the Northern District of Ohio with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be entirely forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses a certain amount of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Smith and Johnson cases were investigated by the IRS-CI Miami and Cincinnati Field Offices, the FBI’s Miami and Cleveland Field Offices, and the SBA-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aimee Jimenez and David Snider for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the cases. The Justice Department also acknowledges and thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the IRS-CI Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General for their assistance investigating this matter.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Final Defendant in Skipworth Drug Trafficking Gang in Philadelphia and its Surrounding Suburbs Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Rahim Amin, 36, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney for his role in a large scale drug trafficking ring.
The defendant pleaded guilty in November 2019 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Amin was a member of the “Skipworth” drug trafficking organization, which sold bulk quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other deadly drugs in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. Following a lengthy investigation, including a series of court-ordered wiretaps, the defendant and his co-conspirators were indicted by a federal grand jury.
Amin’s co-conspirators, Damir Skipworth (the gang’s namesake), Jarrett Cobb, and Tyrone Smith all previously pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in this case and received significant prison sentences: Skipworth more than eight years, Cobb more than five years, and Smith more than three years. A fourth co-defendant, Vontez Scales, was convicted at trial of possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute narcotics and was sentenced to over 26 years.
“By pumping millions of dollars worth of meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl into our region, the Skipworth drug trafficking organization was a menace to Philadelphia and its suburbs,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “With Amin’s sentence, all of the defendants in this case have now received substantial periods of incarceration. Nobody should have to endure living in a neighborhood where drug dealers and thugs act like they’re in charge. My Office, together with our law enforcement partners, must be relentless in attacking and destroying these drug gangs, along with the violence that often comes with them.”
“The dismantling of the Skipworth DTO by federal law enforcement officers and the Bucks County Drug Strike Force is a great testament to the force multiplier effect that we achieve when we all work together to make our community safer. No egos; just a great collaborative effort by all involved for justice and public safety,” said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub.
The case was investigated by the Bucks County Detective Bureau and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Parisi and Andrea Foulkes.
Federal Jury Convicts Granby Man of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Granby man was convicted today by a federal jury in Springfield of child exploitation offenses.
Jonathan Monson, 38, was convicted of four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 7, 2021. The defendant was arrested on March 8, 2018 and has been held in custody since that time.
Monson used a child on four occasions in 2017 and 2018 to produce child pornography, which was later found on his cell phone. In June 2017, Monson distributed child pornography files to a Kik messenger group. Monson was trading child pornography videos on Kik messenger at 3:30 in the morning with another Kik user, just a few hours before federal agents executed a search warrant at his home. The evidence at trial also showed that Monson had additional child pornography files on his phone at the time of the search warrant.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a child provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Granby Police Chief Alan Wishart made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Federal Grand Jury Charges 8 Defendants with Trafficking Kilograms of Cocaine by Mail and Airline from Southern California to AlaskaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement in several states today arrested six defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging they participated in a Southern California-based outfit that trafficked kilogram quantities of cocaine to Alaska via commercial air flights and the mail.
The defendants arrested today made their initial appearances in United States District Court in Los Angeles, Anchorage, Chicago and Seattle. One defendant is in state custody in California while another is expected to surrender to federal law enforcement in the coming week.
The indictment alleges that, from July 2014 to August 2016, the defendants conspired to traffic kilogram quantities of cocaine – along with other drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine – out of Southern California. The drugs and resulting cash proceeds were transported via commercial air travel and by mail to Alaska, the indictment alleges.
Specifically, the indictment alleges on October 23, 2015 in Los Angeles County, law enforcement seized from lead defendant and the organization’s alleged narcotics supplier Raul Cisneros Jr., 42, of Compton, nearly 24 kilograms of cocaine, more than 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and $568,357 in cash, along with various firearms and ammunition.
The indictment also alleges that nearly two kilograms of cocaine and more than $12,000 in cash were seized in a motel parking lot in Anchorage on June 11, 2015. The cocaine had been mailed to Natasha Monique Bushner, 31, of Los Angeles, who delivered it to Margus Gipson, a.k.a. “Melly Mel,” 35, of Compton, the indictment alleges.
All of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Cisneros is charged with seven additional drug- and firearm-related felonies. Asia Dawnta Williams, 27, of Chicago; Damon Eugene Smith, a.k.a. “Big Head,” 37, of Compton; Margus Gipson and his brother, Dawaun Darnell Gipson, a.k.a. “Caddy,” 36, of Compton; are charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, which carries a five-year mandatory minimum sentence and a 40-year statutory maximum sentence.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter. This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Former Tribal Judge Sentenced for Trafficking Oxycodone and Cocaine on the Wind River Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
On October 6, 2020, Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced former Wind River Indian Reservation Chief Tribal Court Judge Terri Smith and her sister Jerri Lee Smith on federal drug charges. TERRI SMITH, 35, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and distribution of cocaine. She received six months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay community restitution in the amount of $500.00 and a $200.00 special assessment. JERRI LEE SMITH, 35, of Salt Lake City, Utah was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She received fifty-one months of imprisonment, to be followed by forty-eight months of supervised release, and ordered to pay community restitution in the amount of $400.00 and a $300.00 special assessment.
“No one is above the law, even those in positions of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen. “Instances of public officials being caught up in criminal activity are thankfully rare in Wyoming, but we will remain vigilant to ensure that all citizens are treated equally under the law and held accountable, regardless of their position.”
Agents with the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation began an investigation into suspected drug activity and trafficking in 2018, after several traffic stops by the Wyoming Highway Patrol led to the discovery of quantities of methamphetamine, oxycodone, and cocaine. A variety of investigative resources were used to determine that Jerri Smith and Terri Smith had been obtaining oxycodone in Utah and were selling them in Fremont County and on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Additionally the investigation uncovered that Jerri Smith was also obtaining methamphetamine and cocaine in Utah then distributing and selling it in Wyoming. At the time of the investigation, Terri Smith was the Chief Tribal Judge on the Wind River Indian Reservation. She later resigned from her position.
"Today's sentencing of Tribal Judge Terri Smith and her sister is a step forward in identifying public officials and private citizens who commit federal crimes and victimize the community members of the Wind River Indian Reservation," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. "Public officials who engage in violations of federal law, to include drug trafficking, erodes the public's confidence in government. Investigating these individuals is one of the FBI's top criminal priorities. The FBI Denver Division would like to extend its appreciation to the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Wyoming for their invaluable assistance in this investigation."
Duquesne Man Gets 22-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Fifth Drug Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Duquesne, PA, has been sentenced to 22 years' (264 months’) imprisonment and eight years of supervised release after his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Donte Taylor, 37, of 825 Catherine Street, Duquesne, Pennsylvania who was found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and quantities of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana.
The evidence introduced during the trial established that on May 10, 2018, Taylor was on parole for a previous drug trafficking conviction when Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole Agents arrived at his residence to conduct a home visit. Agents smelled an odor of marijuana in Taylor’s residence. Taylor’s co-defendant, Ericka Smith, provided agents and Officers with the Duquesne Police Department consent to search the residence. They searched the residence and recovered approximately 279 grams of crack cocaine, 33 grams of cocaine, 56 grams of heroin, 12 grams of fentanyl, 155 grams of marijuana, $14,466, scales, and other drug trafficking materials. This was Taylor’s fifth drug trafficking conviction.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Cercone referenced Taylor’s lengthy criminal history and willingness to engage in drug trafficking despite numerous, previous drug trafficking convictions. Judge Cercone also emphasized that Taylor committed the instant offense while on parole and has never accepted any responsibility for his criminal conduct. Judge Cercone remanded Taylor to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant United States Attorney and Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Duquesne Police Department, and Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole for conducting the investigation leading to the prosecution of Taylor.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month featured grant and organizationRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today’s Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women featured grant and grant recipient.
“We know that the sooner we can assist survivors in finding housing in combination with supportive case management, we increase their sustainability for a violence free future,” said Lisa Shafran, President, Turning Point Domestic Violence Services. “We are thrilled to have received a renewal of this grant which will only increase our capacity to serve those in need.”
Transitional Housing Assistance Grant for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault Program
The Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking (Transitional Housing Program) supports programs that provide 6-24 months of transitional housing with support services for victims who are homeless or in need of transitional housing as a result of a situation of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, and for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis intervention services are unavailable or insufficient. The program can fund transitional housing, short-term housing assistance, and voluntary support services for recipients of transitional housing, including counseling, childcare, transportation, and life skills, educational and/or job training.
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services is a non-profit organization located in Columbus, Indiana that has provided victim services since 1975. The 25-bed Emergency Shelter serves a six-county area including Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Johnson, and Shelby counties.
Through this grant, the organization will provide 60 clustered, and scattered-site residences for 60 survivors and their families through program-owned and private landlord housing units. Turning Point Domestic Violence Services will collaborate with its partner, the Family Service, Incorporated to provide a holistic, victim-centered, and multidisciplinary approach to transitional housing needs in the community.
This continuation project will use funds to provide both housing and supportive services to move survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are homeless to permanent housing. The project will assist clients for an anticipated minimum of 6 months and a maximum length of 24 months.
Services offered will focus on meeting the needs of the underserved Latino, Spanish-speaking, immigrant, deaf, disabled, rural, LGBTQ and substance abuse survivor population in the region. The grant activities will be tailored to meet the needs of the clients.
The range of optional support services include: rental and utility assistance, case management, safety planning, childcare, transportation, career counseling, financial and credit counseling, support groups, individual counseling, job training, education attainment, limited legal assistance, substance abuse services, court accompaniment, and housing advocacy. The project will also provide follow-up services for at least three months once permanent housing is secured.
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services 24/7 Crisis/Helpline can be reached at 1-800-221-6311
DoJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Of the more than 500 cases charged, twenty cases have been brought by the Northern District of Iowa, announced U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan.
“Our office is dedicated to making our community safer by prosecuting the most dangerous offenders,” said United States Attorney Peter Deegan. “That includes domestic abusers who unlawfully possess guns or ammunition. Like felons and drug users, convicted domestic abusers simply cannot have guns or ammunition. If they do so, they are violating federal law and risk being sent to federal prison. The twenty cases our office has charged in the last year demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable armed domestic abusers.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Defendant Going to Prison for 20 Years for Coercing an 11-Year-Old to Have SexRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Sachin Aji Bhaskar, 24, of India, who was convicted of sexual enticement of a minor, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William J. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who handled the case, stated that the defendant met the 11 year-old minor victim online and communicated with the minor victim through text messages. On August 11, 2018, Bhaskar coerced the victim to have sex with him. The defendant picked up the victim at the victim’s residence in Buffalo, NY, and took the victim to an apartment where the defendant was staying at the time in Williamsville, NY. The minor victim’s mother called the Buffalo Police after discovering what had happened when the minor victim returned home the following morning.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
# # # #
DOJ charges 500+ domestic violence-related firearm cases in FY20Read the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving a firearm during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms-related crimes.”
In the Northern District of Ohio, the number of domestic violence cases involving a firearm brought by federal prosecutors has increased substantially in the past few years, announced U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman.
“In the two years since we announced a new focus on domestic violence enforcement in October of 2018, the Northern District of Ohio has charged 34 individuals with violating 18 USC 922(g)(8) and (9). That number represents a more than 300-percent increase in the number of cases brought against domestic violence offenders than in the previous three years. Domestic violence offenders are prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms for good reason. We remain ready to prosecute when these offenders run afoul of the law.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
The Domestic Violence Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
DOJ Charges More Than 500 Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.
A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Locally, since October 2017, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky has brought eleven cases, including two cases in 2020, against defendants charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm after a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or who were subject to a qualifying protective order. In 2020, two defendants have been sentenced for domestic violence and firearms related convictions.
Shawn Lee Perkins, of Montgomery County, was sentenced in August 2020 to serve 78 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, among other charges. Perkins admitted in his plea agreement that in 2018 and 2019 he knowingly possessed several firearms after being convicted of Assault Fourth Degree-Domestic Violence in Fleming County, Kentucky in 2011. After serving his sentence, Perkins will serve a period of supervised release for 3 years.
Scott Kirk Koehler, of Lexington, was sentenced in May 2020 to the equivalent of 18 months in prison, after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence order. In his plea agreement, Koehler admitted that on April 30, 2018, he possessed five firearms while he was subject to an Emergency Protection Order, a domestic violence order issued by the Fayette County District Court in July 2015. Koehler was arrested by ATF in September 2018 and ordered to be held in custody pending resolution of his federal charges. Koehler is on supervised release for a period of 18 months.
“A firearm unlawfully possessed by a domestic abuser is a recipe for deadly violence and tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan. “Reducing gun violence, including domestic violence related firearms offenses, is a fundamental priority for my Office and the Department of Justice. I am proud to serve as a member of the Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Working Group, to help further the Department’s efforts to use federal firearms prosecutions to prevent domestic violence.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
###
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence–Related Firearms Cases in Fiscal Year 2020Read the Press Release
Western District of Tennessee Has Charged 25 Cases in FY 20
Memphis, TN – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
"Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities," said Attorney General Barr. "This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes."
"According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner," said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. "Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities."
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Persons with histories of domestic violence present a known and immediate risk of violence to their families and the community at large. The presence of a firearm during a crime of domestic violence dramatically increases the chances that the victim or other family members in the household, including children,will be fatally shot. A central component of PSN is that safe neighborhoods begin with safe homes, and through our aggressive federal prosecution of these known abusers, we can incapacitate and hold dangerous offenders accountable, send a strong message of deterrence, reduce violent crime rates, and ultimately save lives."
Of the more than 500 cases charged, 25 cases have been brought by the Western District of Tennessee in FY 2020, announced U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant. Here in the Western District of Tennessee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dramatically increased the number of defendants charged with domestic violence-related firearms offenses over the last 3 years:
FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020
Defendants charged 1 15 33 22 25
Examples of successful federal prosecutions of firearms offenses committed by domestic abusers in West Tennessee over the last year include the following:
• Domestic Abuser Sentenced to 6 Years for Unlawful Possession of Multiple Firearms: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/domestic-abuser-sentenced-6-years-unlawful-possession-multiple-firearms
• Convicted Felon with Prior Domestic Violence History Given 5 Year Sentence for Gun Possession: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-prior-domestic-violence-history-given-5-year-sentence-gun-possession
• Convicted Felon Sentenced to Over 7 Years for Possession of Firearm During Domestic Violence Incident and Possession of Ammunition After Threatening and Evading Law Enforcement: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-sentenced-over-7-years-possession-firearm-during-domestic-violence
• Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm During Domestic Violence Incident: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-sentenced-federal-prison-possession-firearm-during-domestic-violence
• Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm During Domestic Violence Incident Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-possession-firearm-during-domestic-violence-incident-sentenced-10-years
• Convicted Felon with Prior Domestic Violence Conviction Sentenced to Federal Prison for Being in Possession of Ammunition: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-prior-domestic-violence-conviction-sentenced-federal-prison-being
This significant increase in federal charges and convictions in this category is a direct result of the Justice Department’s aggressive effort to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. This effort, combined with the re-invigoration of Project Safe
Neighborhoods (PSN) and the Justice Department’s concerted efforts to prosecute violent crime through Project Guardian and Operation LeGend, has resulted in this success.
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
###
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearms Cases in Fiscal Year 2020Read the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
“Domestic violence is a violent crime that destroys one of the most important bonds necessary to hold us together as a Nation—the family bond,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “When illegal guns end up in the hands of an individual with a history of domestic violence, the results are often deadly. Preventing abusers and criminals from getting guns remains a top priority for my Office, and we will continue to work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal levels in that life-saving effort.”
Here, in the Western District of New York:
• Michael T. Blajszczak was charged and convicted of possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence order of protection, and sentenced to serve 12 months in prison. On April 27, 2019, a six-month domestic violence order of protection was issued in Cheektowaga, NY, Town Court against the defendant, who was an Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy at the time. As a result of that order, Blajszczak was prohibited from possessing any firearm during the time period for which it was in effect. On May 2, 2019, the defendant knowingly possessed a .22 caliber rifle and 11 rounds of ammunition.
• Charges remain pending against defendant Arthur Everett, who is accused of possessing firearms while subject to domestic violence protective order. According to an indictment against the defendant, on May 8, 2019, Everett, knowing he was subject to a restraining order issued by Erie County Court, knowingly possessed seven firearms, including five pistols, a revolver, and a semi-automatic handgun. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm;
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence); and
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order.Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
# # # #
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
“Convicted domestic abusers forfeit their right to own guns,” said United States Michael Bailey. “Home should be a place of peace, and never a place of fear. As prosecutors, we must keep these violent offenders from causing further harm.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
-
18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-083_Domestic Violence
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Of the more than 500 cases charged, 13 cases have been brought by the Eastern District of California, announced U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott.
“Our goal of ending domestic violence cannot be reached as long as those with a history of domestic violence against their partners have access to guns,” said U.S. Attorney Scott. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office routinely works with federal, state, and local law enforcement to charge previously convicted felons with firearm possession crimes, especially domestic violence convictions. This is an effective way to reduce violent crimes against women across the country.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
###
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective orderBased on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
"Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities," said Attorney General Barr. "This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes."
"According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner," said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. "Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities."
"The safety of our neighborhoods depend foundationally on the safety of our homes," stated U.S. Attorney Downing. "Through 'Operation 922,' we join together the strength of federal prosecution with state, local, and tribal law enforcement on behalf of vulnerable members of our communities. Women and children who are subject to repeated abuse and violence deserve to be defended by those tasked with the ethical, vigorous, fair and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States. Together, we work to counter the destructive presence of domestic violence in Oklahoma."
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
Nationally
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
Western District of Oklahoma
The Western District of Oklahoma was one of the first districts in the nation to specifically target domestic violence when, in March of 2018, it launched "Operation 922" as its local implementation of the national Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. "Operation 922" specifically targets violent offenders who violate federal laws and have a history of domestic abuse, are subject to a victim protection order, have been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, or who were arrested by law enforcement in response to a domestic violence related call.
Since March of 2018, a total of 124 domestic violence related-cases have been brought by the Western District of Oklahoma through "Operation 922." These domestic violence related cases arose in 16 different counties across the Western District.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Reference is made to court filings for further information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
“Domestic violence is both prolific and diabolical. It has devastated far too many West Virginia families,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We know that when a domestic abuser has a gun, the consequences are often tragic. In partnership with ATF, my office works closely with state and local law enforcement to prevent domestic violence through federal prosecutions. We owe it to the victims of domestic violence to use every resource available to keep guns out of abusers’ hands.”
“Domestic violence affects women, men, and families across West Virginia each year - and when coupled with a firearm, this abuse far too often becomes a violent crime,” stated Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of ATF’s Louisville Field Division. “ATF is committed to keeping firearms out of the hands of abusers through the enforcement of federal firearms laws and the successful prosecutions of these offenders. Our partnership with United States Attorney Mike Stuart is helping to keep West Virginia families safe.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
# # #
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Of the more than 500 cases charged, 13 cases have been brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, announced U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.
“Under federal law, abusers are prohibited from purchasing, possessing, borrowing, storing, or carrying firearms at any time. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and throughout the year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is taking a stand in the fight against domestic violence by vigorously enforcing these firearms laws that are in place to help protect individuals, families, and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada has charged 32 firearms cases related to domestic violence, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich. Those cases encompass matters where federal firearms charges arose from the defendant’s arrest during a domestic violence incident, cases where the defendant previously had been convicted of a domestic violence offense and/or was subject to a domestic violence protective order, and matters in which the charging document references domestic violence in the defendant’s criminal history.
“With appreciation for additional resources provided by the Department of Justice, our office is making a renewed push to prosecute domestic violence offenders who illegally possess guns,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “I am honored to represent the District of Nevada on the Domestic Violence Working Group, and prioritize these critical cases through Project Veronica. Along with our law enforcement partners, our combined efforts are targeted to preventing domestic violence fatalities, as well as holding accountable individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
###
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence Related Firearm Cases in FY20Read the Press Release
MACON, Ga – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
“Just last month, a case that began with Bibb County authorities responding to a domestic violence call ended with a convicted felon with a violent criminal history pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm. He is facing a maximum ten years in a federal prison for his crime,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our office remains committed to improving the safety and security of our citizens by removing firearms from the hands of violent offenders, convicted felons and those with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions. Those caught with guns will face federal prosecution and the possibility of federal prison without parole.”
On Tuesday, September 15, Freddie Slaughter, Jr., 40, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Tripp Self. Judge Self scheduled sentencing for December 8, 2020. According to the stipulation of fact, law enforcement was dispatched to a Macon residence on June 9, 2019, in reference to an alleged domestic disturbance involving Slaughter. When officers arrived at the scene and told the defendant they were responding to a possible domestic violence incident, Slaughter ran. Officers detained Slaughter, and a loaded semiautomatic pistol fell out of his pocket. Slaughter has several prior felony convictions, including robbery by sudden snatching in the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia on June 27, 2005. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. You can read the complete press release by visiting this website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/slaughter-caught-gun-during-domestic-violence-call-pleads-guilty
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Domestic Violence Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Domestic Violence Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
DOJ Charges 500 Plus Domestic Violence Firearm Related Cases in FY 20Read the Press Release
HAMMOND – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Of the more than 500 cases charged, 13 cases have been brought by Northern Indiana, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said, “My Office has no tolerance for convicted felons possessing firearms, particularly when these individuals also have a history of domestic violence. We always have and will continue to focus on these type of cases with our law enforcement partners.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
###
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
###
DOJ Charges 500 + Domestic Violence-Related Firearms Cases in FY2020Read the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first-ever Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Of the more than 500 cases charged in FY2020, eight domestic violence-related firearms cases have been brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma, one resulting in the death of the victim, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, member of the Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Working group.
In August and September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office also charged 10 additional defendants in domestic violence cases not involving firearms, some resulting in homicide. Charges include assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault by strangling or suffocating, kidnapping and more.
“Domestic violence prosecutions are akin to homicide prevention. We owe it to victims of domestic violence to dedicate all available resources to stop habitual offenders and break the cycle of violence. Firearms are used in more than half of all intimate partner homicides in the United States, and that’s one area where my office can focus our prosecutions,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Bottom line, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focused on keeping guns out of the hands of perpetrators with domestic violence convictions. We do this by prosecuting these abusers when they possess a firearm or ammunition, thus taking them out of the home so victims can feel safe and seek essential services to help them move forward.”
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
DOJ Charges 500+ Domestic Violence-Related Firearm Cases in Fy20Read the Press Release
BILLINGS – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr. “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”
“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”
Of the more than 500 cases charged, nine cases have been brought in Montana, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
"Since COVID arrived, domestic violence has increased in Montana. To protect future victims, it's even more imperative now that we keep firearms out of the hands of abusers," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)
- 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order
Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
###
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
###Covington Man Pleads Guilty to Making a False Declaration in Connection with a BankruptcyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that PENH KANG (“KANG”), age 41, of Covington, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty on October 6, 2020 to Making a False Declaration, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 152(3).
According to documents filed in federal court, on or about the 12th day of September 2017, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, KANG, knowingly and fraudulently made a material false declaration, certificate and verification under the penalty of perjury, as permitted under Section 1746 of Title 28, in and in relation to a case under Title 11, In re Penh Kang, No.17-12431, by submitting a Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and a Statement of Financial Affairs, in which he fraudulently answered questions, in that KANG failed to disclose gambling losses of approximately $40,000 to $60,000, an interest in two Capital One Bank accounts, and a $50,000 life insurance policy.
KANG faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571.
KANG will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry on January 5, 2021.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the U.S. Trustee for the Eastern District of Louisiana with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Clinton Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARK FELNER, 31, of Clinton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for engaging in sexual activity with an underage victim in 2015 and 2016, and receiving pornographic images from the minor victim.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions in 2015, Felner, who was 26 at the time, traveled from Connecticut to North Carolina to engage in illegal sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. In 2015 and 2016, when Felner and the minor victim were not physically together, the victim, at Felner’s instruction, sent pornographic images of herself through social media messaging services.
Felner was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 8, 2019. A memory card seized from Felner at the time of his arrest revealed pornographic images that he had received from the minor victim.
On July 15, 2020, Felner pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
Felner, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is scheduled to report to prison on January 7, 2021.
Felner will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New London and East Lyme Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Neeraj Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Chinese Nationals Involved in $1.1 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Chinese nationals involved in a $1.1 million fraud scheme involving gift cards, have both pleaded guilty and one has been sentenced for their respective roles in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, Yuchen Zhang, 23, of Manassas, and Shouming Sun, 41, of Herndon, were part of a wire fraud conspiracy in which members of the conspiracy contacted victims by telephone or through social media and assumed fictitious identities. The conspirators falsely claimed to be from the Internal Revenue Service or an employee of a financial institution, and falsely told victims they were entitled to money or under some form of immediate financial threat, such as having their personal identification information compromised by known criminals. The co-conspirators used these ruses and others to trick the victims into purchasing gift cards and then sending to them the gift cards’ redemption codes. The redemption codes allow the gift cards to be redeemed without being in possession of the physical card. Zhang, Sun and others then used the fraudulently obtained redemption codes to purchase goods totaling approximately $1.15 million.
Sun was sentenced today to seven months in prison.
Zhang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 10, 2021. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea and set the sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu are prosecuting the cases.
This matter was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Transnational Organized Crime Task Force which is composed by FBI agents along with local, state, and federal partners. Significant investigative assistance was provided by the Fairfax County Police Department.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:20-cr-226 and Case No. 1:20-cr-113.
Chinese Company’s SoCal Subsidiary Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Million to Resolve Criminal Investigation into Bribe Payments to Jose Huizar and Illegal Contributions to Other Political FiguresRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Chinese company’s Arcadia subsidiary, established to redevelop a downtown Los Angeles hotel, has agreed to pay $1,050,000 to resolve an investigation into the company’s conduct with public officials in the City of Los Angeles, including bribery, honest services fraud, and foreign and conduit campaign contributions.
A three-year non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with Jia Yuan USA Co., Inc. is the latest development in the ongoing investigation into a wide-ranging “pay-to-play” scheme in which developers bribed Los Angeles city officials to secure official acts to benefit their real estate projects.
The China-based Shenzhen Hazens established Jia Yuan to acquire, operate and redevelop the Los Angeles Luxe City Center Hotel, which it purchased in 2014 for more than $100 million. Jia Yuan “planned a massive redevelopment that would include retail space, residential units, and hotel rooms, valued at approximately $700 million,” according to a “statement of facts” accompanying the NPA.
The NPA was executed on Monday and announced today by United States Attorney Nick Hanna and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Kristi Koons Johnson.
Under the NPA, Jia Yuan will pay the monetary penalty within two weeks and will continue to cooperate with the FBI’s ongoing public corruption probe. The NPA also requires the cooperation of Jia Yuan’s parent company, as well as other Hazens subsidiaries in the Los Angeles-area.
The NPA details several reasons why the government agreed not to prosecute the company for three years, as long as it refrains from any criminal conduct. Those reasons include the company’s timely acceptance of responsibility for its conduct; remedial measures, including terminating George Chiang as a consultant and improving its compliance program; robust and timely cooperation with the investigation, which included proactively providing the government with records located in China and in the personal possession of its chairman, as well as making the chairman available for an interview while he was located outside the reach of U.S. law enforcement; and agreeing to continue to cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI as the agencies continue to investigate and prosecute cases that may touch upon the company’s conduct.
The statement of facts outlines Jia Yuan’s conduct in relation to former Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar, who faces a trial in June on a 34-count racketeering indictment, and real estate development consultant George Chiang, who is scheduled to be sentenced in February after pleading guilty earlier this year to participating in a Huizar-led racketeering enterprise.
In the statement of facts, Jia Yuan admits a series of acts, including:
- a Jia Yuan employee provided Katy Perry concert tickets to Huizar soon after Huizar and “Individual 1” – previously identified as the city’s deputy mayor for economic development – intervened in a compliance issue at a Hazens-owned hotel;
- Jia Yuan employees made campaign contributions to several U.S. political candidates, some of which were later reimbursed by the company at the direction of a foreign national, who was prohibited from participating in U.S. elections;
- Jia Yuan provided in-kind contributions to several U.S. political candidates by hosting reduced-cost fundraising events at the Luxe Hotel, some of which took place at the direction of a foreign national who was prohibited from participating in U.S. elections;
- the chairman of the Hazens companies facilitated an introduction that resulted in a contract that paid indirect bribe payments to Huizar, who, in his official capacity, introduced and voted on a motion to benefit the Luxe Hotel project; and
- Chiang organized a Huizar family trip to China that Hazens partially subsidized.
After receiving all of these benefits, Huizar voted to approve the Luxe Hotel project before the city’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee, which he chaired until shortly after federal agents executed search warrants at his Boyle Heights home and city offices in November 2018.
The statement of facts also details how Chiang and Individual 1 asked the Hazens chairman on several occasions to make a $100,000 contribution to a political action committee established to benefit a Huizar relative who was planning to run for his City Council seat. While the chairman did not authorize the donation, Chiang told Huizar that Hazens would make the $100,000 donation, which prompted Huizar to take additional officials acts to approve the Luxe Hotel project.
The NPA does not preclude or limit the investigation or prosecution of individuals, including any current or former Jia Yuan officer, employee or agent.
The matter involving Jia Yuan and the criminal cases stemming from the investigation are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Veronica Dragalin and Melissa J. Mills, also of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Any member of the public who has information related to this investigation or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Chemist sent to prison for embezzling millionsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 66-year-old Texas man has been ordered to federal prison after he admitted to wire fraud in his connection to stealing millions from a Deer Park corporation, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
James Arthur Camp, New Braunfels, pleaded guilty June 4.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas ordered Camp to serve a 48-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from the company’s chief legal officer who detailed how Camp was to obtain approval for the fraudulent invoices he submitted. In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas noted Camp made grievous mistakes in setting up his scheme and letting it get so big for long. The court ordered he pay restitution in the amount of $11,256,712.54.
“For 19 years, Camp took advantage of his employer by embezzling more than $10 million, separate from his paycheck,” said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI. “Today's sentencing demonstrates the ramifications of a man's years-long commitment to greed, deception and selfishness. This case should remind citizens that every action has a consequence, as Camp will now be held accountable for his actions.”
At the time of his plea, Camp admitted that from April 1998 through November 2017, he defrauded Lubrizol Corporation of $9,256,712.54. During the scheme, he submitted fraudulent invoices for laboratory services from two companies he owned, knowing they had not been performed.
Specifically, Camp admitted that one of those fraudulent laboratory charges included one from his company Bay Area Analytical in the amount of $2,774.06. Camp inputted the data into Lubrizol’s accounting system, causing it to be transmitted electronically from Deer Park to company headquarters in Wycliffe, Ohio. That fraudulent charge was then bundled with other similar charges and paid via electronic funds transfer to Bay Area Analytical’s bank account at J P Morgan Chase Bank in the amount of $12,294.23.
Camp was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined later.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock prosecuted the case.
California man sentenced for illegal firearm possessionRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A California man today was sentenced to 30 months in prison after he admitted to illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Darryl Jason Dempsey, 30, of Vacaville, CA, pleaded guilty in June to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said on June 7, 2019, law enforcement officers came into contact with Dempsey north of Outlook, about one mile south of the Canadian border. Dempsey told officers that his truck was stuck nearby and provided a description of the truck. Dempsey provided a false name and did not have any identification documents. He also had a large amount of cash on his person. Officers took Dempsey to the Border Patrol Station to be identified.
Officers located the truck, and a canine alerted to the presence of drugs. Officers impounded the truck and searched it. Underneath the backseat compartment, an officer found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. At the time of the offense, Dempsey was on probation in California for a felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
XXX
CEO of Financial Firm Pleads Guilty to Running Multi-Million Dollar Securities and Tax Fraud Scheme, and Operating an Unlicensed Money Services BusinessRead the Press Release
A California-based man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to defraud shareholders of publicly traded companies, transmitting millions of dollars through the operation of an unlicensed money-services business in California, and falsifying multiple years of federal tax returns.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer for the Southern District of California, Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Cardell Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) made the announcement.
David Nava, 62, of La Jolla, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business (MTB), and one count of tax fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford of the Southern District of California. Sentencing is set for Jan. 8, 2021.
According to the plea agreement filed in court, Nava was at all relevant times the CEO of the Surf Financial Group LLC (Surf Financial), a financial-services firm based in La Jolla, California. In 1994, federal securities regulators permanently banned and censured Nava from participating in the securities industry. Despite the two-decades’ old ban, Nava admitted in the plea agreement that he and other co-conspirators, including a licensed attorney, converted the debt of various publicly traded companies under materially false and fraudulent pretenses into unrestricted stock and then sold the stock for profit. Nava further admitted that he and his co-conspirators carried out their fraudulent scheme by entering into agreements in which Nava sold shares of various entities’ stock in public-market exchanges, only after fraudulently claiming an exemption from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) registration requirements for selling securities in the public marketplace.
In the plea agreement, Nava admitted that he directed at least one attorney, as well other co-conspirators, to prepare fraudulent attorney opinion letters that were used to remove restrictions on various publicly traded companies’ stocks so that they could be freely traded on the open market. These fraudulent attorney opinion letters permitted Nava and his co-conspirators to sell their shares of stock at times of their choosing and unlawfully to circumvent the SEC’s regulations governing the offer and sale of securities.
To conceal his involvement in the scheme, Nava admitted he used various nominees to ensure that, as Nava described it, he was a “ghost” in the transactions. Brokerage firms relied on the purported truth and accuracy of the attorney opinion letters in evaluating whether to clear the sale of shares of the restricted stocks on public markets. After the stocks were cleared for sale as a result of the false attorney opinion letters, Nava and his co-conspirators sold millions of shares of these stocks to the investing public. Nava further admitted that, after selling these shares and securities, he transferred the proceeds derived from the securities-fraud scheme into bank accounts under his direct control.
Nava also admitted that, from approximately 2017 to 2018, he owned and operated an unlicensed MTB as a means to transmit financial proceeds from foreign locations, including Hong Kong and the Bahamas, all of which disguised the source, origin and control of such financial proceeds. As Nava further admitted, in 2017, Nava entered into a business partnership with at least one co-conspirator who resided in Mexico and delivered dairy products for a living. To conceal Nava’s control over the MTB, Nava directed the Mexican resident to fraudulently open a deposit account in his name at a financial institution in San Diego, and to transmit funds as a nominee and as directed by Nava. According to the plea agreement, Nava’s unlicensed MTB transacted millions of dollars in international wire transfers with entities purportedly involved in investment-banking services and which sold futures and securities. Nava failed to register his MTB with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, as required under federal law.
As stated in the plea agreement, Nava also falsified his tax returns for years 2014, 2015 and 2016. He admitted that he falsely and fraudulently underreported Surf Financial’s profits, and he did so for the purpose of underreporting Nava’s true income and tax liability.
This case was investigated by IRS- CI and HSI. Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Silva of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Boise Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kimber Jac Marston, 44, of Boise, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 13 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Marston to pay a $1,000 fine and serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Marston pleaded guilty to the charge on July 14, 2020.
According to court records, while on parole for a state drug conviction, Marston’s residence was searched by Idaho Department of Correction probation and parole officers. During the search, Marston was found in possession of 323 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he intended to distribute to others. A digital scale and plastic packaging materials commonly used to weigh and package methamphetamine for distribution was also found in Marston’s possession. Marston’s criminal history includes five felony drug convictions.
This case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and Idaho Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County
Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
# # #
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Bergen County Postal Employee Arrested for Bank Fraud and Mail TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was arrested today for stealing mail and committing bank fraud, including stealing checks sent through the mail and fraudulently depositing those checks without authorization, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Juan Torres, 27, of Hackensack, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and one count of mail theft. He is scheduled to appear/appeared this afternoon via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From November 2019 to Jan. 11, 2020, certain checks addressed to third-party victims and mailed to addresses on postal routes in Hackensack, Leonia, and Maywood, New Jersey, were stolen on or about the same dates that Torres was delivering mail on those routes and subsequently were fraudulently deposited by Torres, in New Jersey and elsewhere, into a bank account that he controlled.
The bank fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The mail theft charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez, and the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bergen County Man Charged with Conspiring to Steal More Than $7.8 Million Worth of HIV Medication from Veterans Affairs Medical CenterRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged for his role in stealing prescription HIV medication from the pharmacy of the East Orange VA Medical Center, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Wagner Checonolasco, a/k/a “Wanny,” 33, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to steal government property, specifically HIV medication. Checonolasco had his initial appearance by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was released on $250,000 unsecured appearance bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2018 through November 2019, Checonolasco conspired with another person to steal prescription HIV medication from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in East Orange, New Jersey. The conspirator, who was employed as a pharmacy procurement technician at the VAMC pharmacy, placed large orders for HIV medication, purportedly on behalf of VAMC. After the medication was delivered, the conspirator stole it. Checonolasco and the conspirator met, frequently at the conspirator’s residence, so that Checonolasco could purchase the stolen HIV medication, which he then sold. Checonolasco and the conspirator conspired to steal $7.85 million worth of HIV medications.
The charge of conspiracy to steal government property is punishable by a potential penalty of five years in prison and fine of a $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, with the ongoing investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole F. Mastropieri of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Armed heroin trafficker in Yellowstone County sentenced to seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Whitefish man who admitted dealing heroin and having firearms for protection in Yellowstone County today was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Joshua John Welliver, 32, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that Montana Department of Family Services caseworkers were at Welliver's residence in November 2019 in Yellowstone County when he became upset and started causing a disturbance. Welliver ran into his garage and began throwing around items. Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies and Probation and Parole officers responded. Welliver admitted he had drugs and paraphernalia in the residence and that he had a firearm on his person when DFS workers arrived and had hidden it. Welliver showed officers where he had hidden the gun, a 9mm pistol, in the garage. Officers then found 65 grams of heroin hidden in a concealment container insider of Welliver's truck. Officers also located a bolt-action rifle inside a shed on the property.
Welliver admitted to officers he was a heroin dealer and said he had the guns to protect himself because people try to rob dealers if they have a lot of drugs. He also admitted he got the guns by trading heroin for them.
Welliver was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony conviction in Flathead County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
XXX
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to Prison after Vehicular PursuitRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today to over 12 years in prison for his possession of a firearm and possession of distribution amounts of cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine base following a vehicular pursuit in the City of Richmond.
According to court documents, in October 2019, Shamel McLaughlin, 35, of Richmond, engaged Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers in a high-speed vehicular pursuit in a residential neighborhood in the City of Richmond. Upon stopping his vehicle, RPD officers apprehended McLaughlin after a brief foot pursuit. A search of McLaughlin revealed a baggie with 3.45 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and 15 grams of marijuana. Following McLaughlin’s arrest, RPD officers discovered inside his vehicle a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver, 17 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition, 2.49 grams of cocaine base, and small amounts of heroin and fentanyl
Based on his two prior drug distribution convictions, the Court sentenced McLaughlin as a career offender.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-16.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 16 Months for Veterans Affairs TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that DANIEL VANSLYKE, age 34, of Slocomb, Alabama, was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo in the Eastern District of Louisiana. VANSLYKE had previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.
According to the factual basis and charging document, VANSLYKE previously resided in Franklinton, Louisiana with his father, a legitimate U.S. veteran. After his father died, VANSLYKE failed to advise the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) of his passing and in fact gave information to the VA to indicate that his father was still alive and entitled to benefits. Thereafter, VANSLYKE knowingly stole benefits from the VA that did not belong to him.
In addition to incarceration, VANSLYKE was ordered to pay restitution to the government in the amount of $46,051.92 and $100 mandatory special assessment. He was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release following incarceration.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General for their investigation of the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera was in charge of the prosecution.
Tuesday 6 October 2020
Western Michigan Man Gets 36 Months for Credit Union and Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Gilbert Chrispin Noel Jr., 56, of Wayland, Michigan, was sentenced to serve a total of 36 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for two counts of credit union robbery and one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney also imposed a period of supervised release of 3 years and ordered Noel to pay $22,489.00 in restitution.
Between February and November 2019, Noel robbed two credit unions and one bank in Western Michigan. On February 14, 2019, the defendant robbed the Lake Michigan Credit Union located at 2636 44th Street SW, Wyoming, Michigan. Four months later, on June 11, 2019, Noel robbed the Lake Michigan Credit Union located at 675 68th Street SW, Byron Township, Michigan. Five months after that, on November 26, 2019, Noel robbed the Chemical Bank located at 303 Arlington Street, Middleville, Michigan. Noel was arrested after an anonymous tipster called local police when they recognized Noel from the Chemical Bank surveillance photo that was released to news media following his third robbery. When confronted by police, Noel confessed to robbing the two credit unions and the bank in order to pay his mounting bills. At sentencing, Judge Maloney emphasized that these robberies were very serious crimes, which put many people at risk.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Birge echoed the Court stating, “Credit union and bank robbery are serious offenses, often resulting in traumatic life-altering consequences for the victims. My office and our partners at the Wyoming Police Department, Barry County Sheriff’s Office, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, and at the FBI are committed to holding robbers accountable.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Lane, and investigated by the Wyoming Police Department, Barry County Sheriff’s Office, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, and at the FBI.
###
Waterloo Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Loaded GunRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who unlawfully possessed a loaded gun as a felon and an unlawful drug user was sentenced October 6, 2020, to 15 months in federal prison.
Garrett Tomlinson, age 20, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2020 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, when officers arrived to the scene of a domestic disturbance, Tomlinson tried to run to the upstairs of his residence while carrying a backpack with a loaded gun inside of it. Statements at sentencing also showed that, in addition to possessing the gun unlawfully, Tomlinson also unlawfully sold drugs.
Tomlinson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Tomlinson was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Tomlinson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Schunk and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2010.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
U.S. Department of Justice Awards Grant to Vera House in SyracuseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – A $500,000.00 U.S. Department of Justice grant has been awarded to Vera House, Inc., a not-for-profit agency working to end domestic and sexual violence and elder abuse in Central New York, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon. Under the grant, Vera House will establish its Expanding CORE (Community-Based Options to Respond to Elder Abuse) Program in three apartment buildings in Syracuse. According to Vera House, communities served by the Expanding CORE Program are low-income, racially and ethnically diverse, and represent a significant population of English as a Second Language speakers.
“We are pleased that this Department of Justice grant will support Vera House’s Elder Abuse programs in Central New York particularly because the isolation required by COVID-19 has left many older Americans more vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Our commitment to fighting elder abuse and supporting victims will never waver,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Antoinette Bacon.
Vera House Abuse in Later Life Project Coordinator Jenny Ackley said, “Our project planning team has been evaluating the use of restorative practices for cases of elder abuse for several years, and I’m thrilled that we were awarded this innovative grant to help reach additional older adults in our community. By embedding service staff within the residences of older adults, we hope to build rapport and establish trusted relationships with them and reach those who may be reluctant to use, or unable to access existing services. We are hopeful these services will restore safety and security to older victims of abuse.”
“Community partners like Vera House are vital to our work combatting elder abuse and exploitation, and we look forward to collaborating with them to provide support to victims and witnesses,” said Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shira Hoffman and Christopher Moran, who prosecute elder abuse cases for the United States Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs awarded grants totaling $9.4 million to combat elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors across the United States. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. Attorney General William P. Barr announced the awards on October 1st the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons.
Approximately $7.9 million of the funds were awarded to jurisdiction and service providers in the United States under two of Office for Victims of Crime grant programs. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $1.4 million for related research projects.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Weisman Announces $6M to Assist Victims in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman today announced $5,996,014 in Department of Justice grants to assist victims in Rhode Island. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost 1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, flagship formula grant program is supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under The Victims of Crime Act. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.
“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”
The awards made to organizations in the Rhode Island will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments.
“Agencies across Rhode Island work tirelessly 365 days a year to assist and provide services to crime victims in so many ways,” noted United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “The financial support provided by the Department of Justice is paramount to ensuring that these agencies have the financial resources they need to provide support to hundreds, if not thousands of Rhode Islanders each year.”
State victim compensation programs will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.
“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
###
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr Announces $3,471,000 to Assist Victims in North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. today announced $3,471,000 in Department of Justice grants to assist victims in North Carolina. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost 1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, flagship formula grant program is supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under The Victims of Crime Act. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.
“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”
The awards made to organizations in the North Carolina will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments.
“Supporting and helping the victims of crime in North Carolina is our moral and legal obligation,” commented U.S. Attorney Higdon. “The Department of Justice is committed to assisting these who have been victimized among us. The grants will bring much needed resources to assist in this important mission as we work to help the victims of crime rebuild their lives and move beyond the effects of those crimes.”
State victim compensation programs will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.
“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
# # #
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
U.S. Attorney Matt Martin Announces $5,169,303 to Improve Services for Crime VictimsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC. -- U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin today announced $5,169,303 in Department of Justice grants to improve services for crime victims in the Middle District of North Carolina. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of over $144 million distributed to enhance the district's response to victims of crime throughout the United States.
“The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to protecting public safety and bringing justice to those who have been victimized,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The investments we are making today will support service providers as they work to secure the legal rights of victims and put survivors of criminal acts on the road to recovery.”
The awards made to organizations in the Middle District of North Carolina will advance the use of technology, improve community preparedness and law enforcement training and provide emergency and transitional shelter to assist victims of crime. Programs will also support victims of child abuse and fund research projects related to perpetrators and victims of elder abuse. Approximately $64.3 million was awarded under Office for Victims of Crime grant programs; over $54.1 million was awarded under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs; over $19.9 million was awarded under Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking grant programs; and nearly $5.7 million was awarded under two National Institute of Justice grant programs.
“Protecting victims is at the core of our mission. It is why many of us enter law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “These grants will fund programming to assist victims in the Middle District, and research that will positively impact victim services on a national scale.”
“As lockdowns and lawlessness fuel crime in America’s homes and communities, more people are vulnerable to victimization and those who have been victimized face new hurdles,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving our victim service partners the tools they need to better serve their clients and protect victims’ rights.”
The following organizations in the Middle District received funding:
• Research Triangle Institute -- $1,499,583 (Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime program)
• Research Triangle Institute -- $1,199,707 (Addressing Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting program)
• City of Salisbury -- $270,000 (Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist program)
• Kellin Foundation -- $699,994 (Enhancing Community Responses to America's Drug Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victim’s program)
• Research Triangle Institute -- $804,300 (Research and Evaluation of Victims of Crime program)
• Research Triangle Institute -- $695,719 (Research and Evaluation of Victims of Crime program)
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
# # #
U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez Announces over $1 Million to Improve Services for Crime Victims in Middle District of FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez today announced $1,095,330 in Department of Justice grants to improve services for crime victims in the Middle District of Florida. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of over $144 million distributed to enhance the district's response to victims of crime throughout the United States.
“The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to protecting public safety and bringing justice to those who have been victimized,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The investments we are making today will support service providers as they work to secure the legal rights of victims and put survivors of criminal acts on the road to recovery.”
“Prosecuting crimes is but one aspect of delivering justice,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Whenever and wherever possible, we must assist victims in the recovery and restoration process of their lives. The grant awards made today will assist our communities in rendering justice complete.”
The awards made to organizations in the Middle District of Florida will advance the use of technology, improve community preparedness and law enforcement training and provide emergency and transitional shelter to assist victims of crime. Programs will also support victims of child abuse and fund research projects related to perpetrators and victims of elder abuse. Approximately $64.3 million was awarded under Office for Victims of Crime grant programs; over $54.1 million was awarded under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs; over $19.9 million was awarded under Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking grant programs; and nearly $5.7 million was awarded under two National Institute of Justice grant programs.
“As lockdowns and lawlessness fuel crime in America’s homes and communities, more people are vulnerable to victimization and those who have been victimized face new hurdles,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving our victim service partners the tools they need to better serve their clients and protect victims’ rights.”
The following organizations received funding:
- City of St. Petersburg ($390,832)
- Hillsborough County ($704,498)
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Duncan Announces Grant Funds to Improve Services for Crime Victims in Eastern District of KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., announced on Tuesday $1,892,160 in Department of Justice grants to improve services for crime victims in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of over $144 million distributed to enhance the response to victims of crime throughout the United States.
“The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to protecting public safety and bringing justice to those who have been victimized,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The investments we are making today will support service providers as they work to secure the legal rights of victims and put survivors of criminal acts on the road to recovery.”
The awards made to organizations in the Eastern District of Kentucky will advance the use of technology, improve community preparedness and law enforcement training and provide emergency and transitional shelter to assist victims of crime. Programs will also support victims of child abuse and fund research projects related to perpetrators and victims of elder abuse. Approximately $64.3 million was awarded under Office for Victims of Crime grant programs; over $54.1 million was awarded under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs; over $19.9 million was awarded under Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking grant programs; and nearly $5.7 million was awarded under two National Institute of Justice grant programs.
“Protecting the public and pursuing justice on behalf of crime victims are core priorities for our Office and for the Department of Justice,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The grant funds awarded by DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs will be used to help crime victims in the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
“As lockdowns and lawlessness fuel crime in America’s homes and communities, more people are vulnerable to victimization and those who have been victimized face new hurdles,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving our victim service partners the tools they need to better serve their clients and protect victims’ rights.”
The following organizations received funding:
- Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet- $400,000
- Mountain Comprehensive Care Center - $700,000
- Volunteers of America Mid-States- $700,000
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
-END-
U.S. Attorney DeVillers appoints district election officersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – United States Attorney David M. DeVillers announced today that he has designated Election Officers in each of the district’s three offices to serve as points of contact for the upcoming general elections.
DeVillers appointed:
-
- Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight district wide,
- Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate in Columbus,
- Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter in Cincinnati, and
- Deputy Criminal Chief Dominick S. Gerace in Dayton.
As District Election Officers, they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with the Justice Department in Washington.
“The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur,” said U.S. Attorney DeVillers. “We seek to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open.”
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.
DeVillers added, “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
# # #
-
U.S. Attorney Announces More than $1.5 Million in Grants to Assist Victims in Southern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9608
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 6, 2020
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer today announced $1,549,980 in Department of Justice grants to assist victims in the Southern District of California. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost $1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, flagship formula grant program is supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under The Victims of Crime Act. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.
“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”
The awards made to organizations in the Southern District of California and around the country will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments.
“Helping crime victims achieve justice and obtain support is our top concern, and these grants are an important part of that equation,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “This money has the potential to change many lives for the better.”
In the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties, grants were awarded to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, $1,250,000; and to Nile Sisters Development Initiative, which serves refugee and immigrant communities, $299,980.
State victim compensation programs will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.
“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.